Articulating and mainstreaming agricultural trade policy and support measures

The FAO project, Articulating and mainstreaming agricultural trade policy and support measures, was implemented during 2008-2010. With a view to maximize the contribution of trade to national development, a process has been underway in many developing countries to mainstream trade and other policies into national development strategy such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). A similar process of mainstreaming is strongly advocated, and underway, for trade-related support measures, including through the Aid for Trade initiative. In view of this, there is a high demand for information, analyses and advice on best approaches to undertaking these tasks.

It was in this context that this project was conceived. Its three core objectives are to contribute to: i) the process of articulating appropriate agricultural trade policies consistent with overall development objectives; ii) the process of articulating trade-related support measures; and iii) the process of mainstreaming trade policies and support measures into national development framework.

Project implimentationThe project was implemented as case studies in five countries - Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The following institutes in the five countries collaborated in this work: Bureau of Socioeconomic Research & Training (BSERT), Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh; Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Accra, Ghana; Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), Kathmandu, Nepal; Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Sri Lanka; and Economic Research Bureau (ERB) of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Through these Institutes, about 50 analysts participated in the project work.

OutputsTwo key outputs of the project are: i) one book with 19 chapters, consisting of four synthesis chapters and 15 country-specific chapters on the above three core themes of the project; and ii) eight Policy Briefs based on these outputs.